The Story of Us
3 Stars (Out of 4)
Reviewed by Mac VerStandig
critic@moviereviews.org
http://www.moviereviews.org
October, 1999
For over 90 minutes, The Story of Us innocuously runs through the projector. At film's end, the audience is not shocked. There are no great revelations, massive special effects or even unforgettable moments. That is, however, not to say that The Story of Us limps along, drags, or even approaches boredom. The movie is just a sweet and poignant work that is not today's typical Hollywood fare.
Ben (Bruce Willis) and Kate Jordan (Michelle Pfeiffer) have been married for 15 years and seem to be the ordinary couple. They have two kids, they each have their own job and close friends. But something has happened, and after they drop their children off for camp one summer, they each go home- Kate to the house and Ben to an apartment. The tagline on the film is "Can a marriage survive 15 years of marriage?" Evidently not. But over the course of the 8 week summer, Ben and Kate will discover if a separation can survive 8 weeks of separation.
Hall of fame singer, songwriter and guitarist Eric Clapton is credited with the music for this film. That is a little deceiving. Clapton did perform all the original music; the movie just neglects to mention that that entails all of one song. Good as it may be, that single track is overplayed to a point of annoyance, accompanying almost all of the film's montages. I only noted one other vocal performance, and it was indeed by Clapton. The song was "Wonderful Tonight," which I can assure you was not written for this production.
Willis and Pfeiffer are both at their best in this film. She is near perfect for her role, and he seems to have had no trouble adjusting from the role of "Oil drilling space hero" in last summer's Armageddon to "hopeless romantic" in this picture. A strong supporting cast fills the other roles in this predominately two person movie. Rita Wilson, Paul Reiser and Rob Reiner are all a pleasure to watch as the closest confidants of the separated couple. Also, Tim Matheson rather nicely portrays a divorced parent who Kate begins to date.
The Story of Us is not a typical film. Almost every movie these days has a side plot involving either a married couple or a close boyfriend and girlfriend. But those are extra scenes meant to attract female audiences and make certain films considered "date movies." The Story of Us does just the opposite. It even takes the reverse one step further. Rather than employing a side plot, the movie stays focused and never ventures astray from Ben and Kate's family. There was a time when singular plot films like this were normal. But today it is a rarity, and when strict one-plotters (especially romances) romances do surface, it is not often that they are of this quality.
---Editorial Criticism of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)---
The MPAA rated The Story of Us "R". That means that children under the age of 17 cannot see this film, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. The MPAA also rated Fight Club, the other major film opening the week of October 15, "R". Here is a comparison of the two films' offenses:
The Story of Us
a.. References to masturbation
b.. References to sex
c.. Foul language
d.. Family problems
Fight Club
a.. Two near-castration scenes
b.. Numerous instances of foul language
c.. Sex
d.. Numerous scenes of people fighting
e.. Extensive blood
f.. Human fat oozing about freely
g.. A man shooting himself in the head, as the camera shows the
bullet go all the way through
h.. Reference to transsexual traits
The MPAA and its president, Jack Valenti, seem to believe that giving an identical warning to parents about these films will suffice. That's funny, because my parents always told me that sex and family were normal and okay things in life. I guess they skipped the parts about violence and destruction.
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